Generals! It’s Synth here, good to see you again! I hope you’re ready for our latest report in Graveyard of Empires! Last time we explored the historical events that took place in Iran during World War 2, as well as the potential alt history that lay within a strong Iranian Empire. This time, we take a look at what the opposition had to say in regards to the Pahlavi Dynasty. Buckle up soldiers, we’re going to be exploring the Democratic, Communist and Fascist paths and see what kind of alternate history awaits us.
From what we saw in history, Iran maintained its monarchy all the way through to the 1970s, but as with all nations, it was never a cut and dry case. In the 20th century, ideology took a forefront in modern politics, and Iran was no stranger to concepts such as communism and fascism. Today, we are going to explore a few what if scenarios, in which the Shah was faced with a strong enough opposition to change the trajectory of Iran on the world stage. Without further ado, let’s hop right in!
(A disclaimer: there may be some placeholder art for the time being)
Is being a King of Kings not your cup of tea? Well, we have a wide selection of ideology for you!
Taking power is not so simple. You must build your opposition first.
Before we dive into any specific branch, you must first establish your national front. Doing so will unlock a decision in which you can decide where to place your ‘headquarters’ should a civil war break out (And let me be real with you folks, it probably will). This will make that state your capital when you decide to go to war with the Shah, giving you a good foothold for your new government.
This will allow you to then take some more decisions through the next focuses, which will help you to lower support for the Shah and establish opposition groups in various states that will join you on the onset of a civil war.
From this point, you must then decide which ideology you want to use to spearhead Iran into the future.
Rallying behind Mosaddegh
I love democracy, I love the Republic…
Have you heard the tale of Mohammad Mosaddegh? He was a prominent Iranian politician, author and lawyer. To this day, he remains one of the most popular figures in Iranian history. In the context of Graveyard of Empires, Mosaddegh is the man who will spearhead our democratic movement in Iran.
As the democratic Iranian player, you will have the choice of either restoring and maintaining constitutional limits on the Shah, allowing him to serve as a figurehead, or instead work towards a republic, which will inevitably result in the Shah’s deposition. Whilst forcing an abdication will result in a civil war no matter what, if you are able to garner enough democratic support, you should be able to avoid conflict and quietly become a full democracy if you instead decide to enforce a constitutional monarchy.
I’m sure the Shah won’t mind…
Oh yeah, he probably will mind…
At this point, you are now a democracy, and it is time to open up free elections and decide who you want to lead your nation. You will have three options, each with their own perks: Mohammad Mosaddegh, Mohammad Ali Foroughi, and Abol Ghasem Kashani.
If you choose to follow a constitutional monarchy, there will also be an option to strengthen the power of the Islamic clergy, and generally reject overt westernization. This won’t result in a take over, but it will ensure that religion will continue to have a place within your new government.
It always comes down to oil, doesn’t it?
There are two ways in which foreign policy can go when playing democratic Iran. One will take you down a path of anti-colonialist movements in the middle east (which I will touch on after the communist branch, as both ideologies can take this), and joining up with the Allies. The latter will allow you to secure Iraq and Afghanistan to have a better control over the region and ensure that the middle east remains democratic. Like I said, I will discuss international solidarity a bit later, but first let’s take a look at the communist branch of Iran!
The Rise of the Tudeh
Red, as far as the eye can see
The Tudeh party was an Iranian communist party that had considerable influence in their early years of operation, including playing an important role alongside Mosaddegh in the attempts to nationalize the Anglo-Iranian oil company. Following the occupation of Iran, however, they became very pro-Soviet, which we have reflected here in the tree. The other option is to follow the Iran Party, which was not as far left as the Tudeh were, but also played their role as part of the backbone of the ‘National Front’. Even though their membership never exceeded the several hundreds, they remain a potential route to take in your efforts to bring the communist revolution to Iran!
In order to proceed down this path, it is crucial that you reach out to the Kurdish and Azerbaijani separatists, promising them independence once you have taken power. Once you carry out your revolution, you will have a certain amount of time to deliver on your promise of independence or they will try and take it from you by force!
Plans must be laid following your revolution
Following your rise to power, it is time to make some decisions on what to do. Given the proximity towards the Soviet Union, regardless of whether or not you align with them directly, you will be working closely with them. After working on restructuring your industry and making changes to your country, the path of the Iranian communist tree becomes a lot more focused on building a military and engaging in foreign policy.
That’s a lot of collaboration…
In order to keep up with the military behemoth of your communist neighbor, the latter part of this branch focuses on collaborating with them in order to strengthen your military technology. This should help the Iranian communist player prepare for any threats to their new ideology.
On the flip side, we can finally talk about international solidarity!
It’s time to de-colonize!
This little sub-branch is shared by the communist and democratic tree, and will give you the opportunity to cause a little chaos in the region. For many years, European powers have held colonial dominance in the Middle East, and now it is time to disrupt their great game and expel them from these lands. Don’t get it entirely twisted, however. There are gains to be made here, after all, if these lands are under your “protection”, then they won’t be in the hands of the great empires either.
These focuses will give you an opportunity to de-stabilize your immediate neighbors and solidify a sense of control in the region. Afterwards, you can encourage resistance in the border lands and eventually stake your own claims around the Persian gulf, replacing the external imperial powers with your own hegemony.
Under New Leadership
The path to Iranian Fascism
Historically, the hyper-nationalist party SUMKA was not formed until the 1950s, under the leadership of Davud Monshizadeh and was directly inspired and reflective of the leadership of Germany during World War 2. In the context of our branch here, they will be formed early and will be the main party leading this new fascist Iran.
First we begin by uniting those with nationalist sentiments and collate them into forming SUMKA. Whilst this brings a hit to stability, it will start to tick favor to be more in line with fascism.
March of the shocktroopers
By organizing shocktrooper marches, more of the military will join your side when your coup begins, meaning you can overwhelm the Shah with numbers, ultimately leading to an easier grab for power. However, there is also the option to sway the elite in Iran to your side. When the war is over and you have secured power, it will give you an opportunity to select a new Shah who will be more sympathetic to your cause, relegating him to nothing more than a figurehead.
With that under way, it is time to take your stand.
An empire fractured…
Expanding outwards
After a brutal civil war, it is time to rebuild your nation into something more befitting of a hyper-nationalist and fascist regime. You can enforce secularism, which will cause a dip in support, stability and research for a while, but will ultimately allow you to spearhead new technologies through a research slot. You may also establish your own secret peace to maintain order in your new nation.
Eventually though, you will need to make a choice. Will you side with the nationalists in Germany? align yourself with the Japanese Empire? Or go your own way and develop your own fascist bloc? Either one of these will allow the Iranian player to begin intervening in their neighbors business, staking claims on Turkey, Iraq and Afghanistan, before eventually turning your gaze towards the pesky communists to the north.
Germany or Iran? Who will bring the New World Order?
After forming Greater Iran, you have a few choices ahead of you. Sow discourse in the Middle East, by flaring tensions between the Arab nations and turning them against each other. Turn your gaze to India and deal with the fracturing of Imperial power in the region. But ultimately, there is one final boss to deal with…
There can only be one fascist superpower in the world, and if you have your way, it will not be Germany.
Welcome to the Graveyard of Empires
And that, Generals, brings me to our conclusion. With this Dev Diary, we have finished all the country specific spotlights, with Iran bringing them to a close. As you can see, we have given you a myriad of options to play with when it comes to this absolutely fascinating country. Whether you defend yourself against aggressive invaders; build an empire founded on national pride; or bring Iran into a new age of democratic, fascist or communist ideologies, there is something for everyone.
I truly hope you all enjoy playing these four nations when they release with Graveyard of Empires, as we had a blast making this content for you and exploring an often forgotten part of the world. So much happened here during World War 2, and we are delighted to shine a spotlight on it!
As always, have a great day, have fun, and I’ll see you all later!
-Synth
If you haven't already, check out the Expansion pass by clicking here, or the picture above!